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According to reports from MMA Junkie, UFC featherweight Jeremy Stephens has pulled out of his November 7 fight against Arnold Allen.
Jeremy Stephens has been forced to pull out from the fight due to an undisclosed injury, but the good news is that he is expected to recover quickly. We're likely to see him compete before the end of the year or early next year.
The fight against Allen was the perfect chance for the hard-hitting featherweight to bounce back from a dismal run of five fights without a win. Jeremy Stephens' last win came all the way back in February 2018.
His opponent Allen lies on the opposite end of the spectrum with an unbeaten 7-0 record inside the Octagon, and hasn't lost a professional fight since June 2014.
Jeremy Stephens must win his next fight inside the Octagon
Jeremy Stephens has fought only once this year in a grudge match against Calvin Kattar back in May at UFC 249, where the former got knocked out in the second round of the fight.
Although it was a disappointing loss against his former foe, Stephens is trying to look at the bright side of things, and turn that loss into motivation ahead of the potential clash against Allen whenever it takes place.
Sharing an anecdote from Michael Jordan's "The Last Dance" documentary, Stephens said that the loss against started a fire in his belly and has only increased his hunger to win the next time he sets foot inside the cage (via MMA Junkie).
“I was watching (Michael) Jordan in The Last Dance. He goes up 2-0 against the Phoenix Suns. Then Charles Barkley in the third game, they were just a little bit more hungry. Jordan is up two games and he kind of lays off the gas a little bit. Charles Barkley had that hunger in that third game. You can’t stop that hunger. That will to win. I don’t think anybody has the will to win more than me. I love this sport. I love fighting. There’s nothing more than winning and getting that win. My will to win is super strong – my spirit, my soul (are) on fire right now.”
In all honesty, Jeremy Stephens has his back up against the wall at the moment. A couple more losses inside the Octagon - or maybe even one more loss - could force the UFC to think about whether he has a future inside the Octagon.
Also, his next opponent Arnold Allen is being pitted to become a title contender shortly. Given that Allen has zero losses inside the Octagon, it is safe to say that Jeremy Stephens has a huge mountain to climb if he wants to revive his career.
